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Your guides for this tour will be Pablo (+34 677 35 65 86) and Enrique (+34 696 54 60 88).
Call the Bike Spain Tours office on +34 915 590 653, or out of office hours call +34 677 356 586. We will get you where you need to be and get you the help you need.
Your insurance policy number is 21110736. You can find your insurance documents here.
Monday, August 19th. Madrid
Arrival day
Accommodation: Hotel Catalonia Goya
Arrival at leisure in Madrid. Today, we’ll enjoy some free time to get to know Spain’s elegant capital. You can check into the hotel from 3pm.
At leisure in Madrid
Eating and drinking in Madrid
Tuesday, August 20th. Seville
Accommodation: Hotel Exe Sevilla Macarena
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
10am: Our Bike Spain Tours staff will pick you up from Hotel Catalonia Goya and transfer you to Madrid Puerta de Atocha station, from where you will travel down to Seville with your guide.
11:05am: Train departs from Madrid Puerta de Atocha station. You can access your train tickets here.
1:48pm: Train arrives into Seville Santa Justa station.
We’ll take some time to explore the breathtaking historic centre of Seville, discovering the city’s three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Royal Alcázar, the Cathedral (the second largest in the world!) and the Royal Archive of the Indies.
Later, we’ll carry out the bike fitting and tour welcome briefing. Next, we’ll take advantage of the cooler evening temperatures by taking our bikes out for a spin in a cycle tour around Seville before getting to know each other over a delicious dinner.
Wednesday, August 21st. Seville
Accommodation: Hotel Exe Sevilla Macarena
La Vuelta: Stage 5: Fuente del Maestre > Seville
Route: 106 km/66.2 miles
Elevation: +922 m/+3024 ft
Meals included: Breakfast
It’s time to hit the mountains! Today we’ll enjoy a cycle route through the beautiful mountains of the Sierra Norte de Sevilla, a mosaic of natural and man-made beauty: verdant pastures, spectacular limestone formations and cobblestone streets through traditional white villages.
In the afternoon, we’ll head to our VIP seats to watch the nail-biting finish of today’s stage of La Vuelta in Seville. After cheering on our favourites, we’ll enjoy a final evening of free time in Seville.
Dinner tonight is not included, so you’ll have the opportunity to explore the many traditional tabernas and tapas bars of Seville.
At leisure in Seville
Thursday, August 22nd. Ronda
Accommodation: Hotel Catalonia Reina Victoria
La Vuelta: Stage 6: Carrefour Sur. Jerez de la Frontera > Yunquera
Route: 78 km/48.7 miles
Elevation: +1696 m/+5564 ft
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Pack your bags, we’re going to Ronda!
This morning, we’ll head into the Betic mountain range to enjoy a cycle tour of some of Andalusia’s most magical pueblos blancos (white villages) as we follow today’s Vuelta stage. The first of these is Olvera, a village perched on a mountain and overlooked by a 12th century Nasrid fortress, whose white buildings are a perfect example of Andalusian architecture. Next, we’ll visit Setenil de las Bodegas, a unique village that grew out of a network of caves, with the result that the white houses seem to emerge from the cliff face, with walls and roofs made of rock. We’ll make a quick circuit of Ronda, where we’ll spend the night, before continuing on to Yunquera, the end of today’s stage.
On today’s cycle route, we will tackle some of the most challenging climbs of today’s Vuelta stage: el Alto de Ronda and el Puerto del Viento, both category 3 ascents. Our cycle route will finish in Yunquera, where we will take our VIP seats at the finish line, and cheer on the pro cyclists as they fight to be the first to the summit finish.
After the racers have crossed the line, we’ll travel back to Ronda, and take some time to explore this beautiful city.
We’ll finish the day by enjoying dinner together, recounting our adventures in the Andalusian mountains and making predictions for the rest of La Vuelta.
At leisure in Ronda
Friday, August 23rd. Bobadilla
Accommodation: La Bobadilla
La Vuelta: Stage 7: Archidona > Córdoba
Route: 56.4 km/35.1 miles
Elevation: +937 m/+3075 ft
Meals included: Breakfast
Today, we’ll be watching the start of the stage! We’ll head up to Archidona and use our VIP passes to join in with the behind-the-scenes excitement before the beginning of the day’s stage, taking selfies with our favourite pro cyclists and chatting to their teams.
After seeing off the pros, we’ll hop on our bikes and cycle up to the charming mountain village of Riofrío, famous for its pure river waters which have made the area a production centre for organic beluga caviar, and consequently a place of pilgrimage for fans of fine gastronomy.
We’ll finish today’s cycle tour at our hotel, La Bobadilla. Tucked away in the Andalusian mountains on its own estate, and surrounded by countryside, La Bobadilla is a luxurious haven in the form of a private Andalusian white village. We’ll spend the afternoon at leisure, enjoying the pool, the spa and the beautiful surroundings of one of the best hotels in Spain.
Dinner tonight is not included, so you can choose between La Bobadilla’s three restaurants, one of which – La Finca – has been awarded a Michelin Star!
Saturday, August 24th. Granada
Accommodation: Áurea Washington Irving
La Vuelta: Stage 8: Úbeda > Cazorla
Route: 86 km/56.3 miles
Elevation: +1496 m/+4910 ft
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Our cycle route today will take us through the Natural Park of the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama, mountain ranges that separate the interior of Andalusia from the coast with a spectacular succession of peaks, dotted with remote pueblos blancos. We’ll cycle between rugged crags and steep ridges, admiring the fantastical shapes that ancient rivers have carved into the limestone, such as the Zafarraya, a spectacular depression surrounded by mountains.
We’ll finish our route in the mountains overlooking Granada, and head down into the city to spend the afternoon exploring. Arriving into Granada is like stepping into another country; Granada was the capital of the Spanish Caliphate for two and a half centuries, and the Moorish influence is still very noticeable in the architecture, gastronomy, and culture of the area.
Tonight, we’ll enjoy a true Andalusian experience with a dinner of authentic local cuisine and a traditional flamenco show. Flamenco originally arose from the melting pot of cultures and musical traditions in Andalusia, so Granada really is the only place to see it! From the rooftop terrace of the flamenco tablao, we’ll be able to enjoy fabulous views of the world-famous Alhambra palace, which we will be visiting tomorrow!
8pm: Dinner and flamenco show at Venta de Gallo.
Sunday, August 25th. Madrid
Accommodation: Hotel Catalonia Goya
Route: 77 km/48 miles
Elevation: +2118 m/+6947 ft
Meals included: Breakfast
8:30am: This morning, we’ll visit the jewel in Granada’s crown: the magnificent Alhambra palace! Please make sure that you bring your ID with you, as you will need to show it in order to access the Alhambra.
Get your mountain legs ready: this morning we’ll be cycling into the Sierra Nevada, all the way up to Hoya de la Mora: one of the highest roads in Spain and with an average gradient of 6.66%!
The Sierra Nevada is a dramatic, rugged mountain range, the highest in Europe after the Alps. Some of the highest peaks retain snow on their summits even in the summer, and huge glacial lakes break up the landscape. We’ll enjoy fresh mountain air, majestic landscapes, and a triumphant downhill ride back into Granada.
In the afternoon, we’ll watch the pro cyclists arrive at the end of the stage in Granada, from our VIP seats at the finish line. After cheering on our favourites one last time, we’ll travel back to Madrid by private transfer, where our guides will say goodbye.
Gratuities
Gratuities for our guides are much appreciated to thank them for exceptional service, support, and expertise. The industry standard for each individual guest is 7.5-10% tip of the trip price at the end of the tour. Unless you want to tip separately, guides will divide tips among themselves. Local currency is preferred.
Monday, August 26th
Departure day
After breakfast, our services will come to an end.
We hope that you had a wonderful La Vuelta experience with us!
Bike Spain Tours will provide you with a cycling jersey: the perfect souvenir of your experience! We will also provide water bottles and, optionally, helmets.
On a Bike Spain vacation, understanding and abiding by the rules of bicycling safety are the most important part of each day.
You are probably familiar with some common safety guidelines. Below are those that we follow at Bike Spain, and we ask that you follow them while traveling with us:
To check the weather before you leave on your trip, please take a look at current weather conditions at www.weatheronline.co.uk. For historical temperature and precipitation statistics visit www.weatherbase.com or take a look at the Spanish Meteorological website with detailed information per region (http://www.aemet.es/en/elclima/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos)
The history of Spain is a compendium of influences from the different cultures that have lived in the country. The first settlers on the Peninsula were the Celts and the Iberians. The Roman presence in Hispania lasted for seven centuries, during which time the basic borders of the Peninsula in relation to other European towns were set up. Many institutions were inherited from Rome such as the concept of family, Latin as a language, religion and law. At the start of the 5th century new settlers from the North arrived and settled on the Peninsula: the Visigoths in the interior and the Swabians on the West. The decomposition of the Visigoth state apparatus would lead to the successive infiltration of Arab and Berber troops from the other side of the Straits of Gibraltar at the beginning of the 8th century. In the middle of the 8th century the Muslims had completed occupation and Cordoba became the center of the flourishing Andalusian state. The Arab presence in Spain would last for almost seven centuries and leave an indelible mark on the Spanish cultural heritage.
Following a long period of peaceful coexistence, the small Christian strongholds in the North of the Peninsula took on a leading role in the Reconquest, which ended with the capture of Granada in 1492 under the reign of the Catholic King and Queen, traditionally considered the founders of peninsular unity and the imperial management of the Spanish revival. The 16th century represents the zenith of Spanish hegemony in the world, a process that would last until the middle of the 17th century. Following the death of Charles II, the last of the Austrians, who died without having had children, Phillip V inaugurated the dynasty of the Bourbons of Spain.
The crisis of the Old Order opened the doorway to the Napoleonic invasion. The War of Independence was a war against the French invasion, but also a revolutionary war due to the decisive involvement of the people and the clear formation of a national consciousness that would later shape the 1812 Constitution. The Courts of Cadiz thereby enacted one of the first Constitutions of the world which ratified that sovereignty would reside in the nation. The conflict between liberalists and absolutists, or in other words, between two different ways of perceiving the establishment of the state, would be one of the longest Spanish conflicts throughout the 19th century.
The ballot box is introduced into Spain and with it the first democratic experience of the 20th century: the second Republic, a brief attempt to introduce the reformations the country needed, frustrated by General Franco’s military rising and the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936. The military victory of General Franco gave way to a long dictatorial period that would last until 1975. Following his death, the Spanish peacefully made the transition from dictatorship to democracy in a process known as ‘the Spanish model’. Don Juan Carlos I, as King of the Spanish people, became the chief of a social and democratic state of law, which molded the Constitution of 1978.
More information…? Should you be interested in a specific theme, please check here, you will find many info about culture, environmental issues, nature, society, geography and politics.
In Spain you have exquisite and innovative dishes with the guarantee of internationally prestigious chefs. The highest quality products from the best producers, recipes combining popular tradition with artistic creation and offer you exciting, new flavors. Spain’s culinary revolution, headed by master chefs like Ferrán Adriá, Arzak and Berasategui turns the pleasure of good food into a luxury for the senses that is at its finest when savored in Spain.
Spanish cuisine is nowadays recommended in the finest restaurants, heralded by the most prestigious critics and demanded by millions of consumers over the world. It has gone through a real revolution, which, in the time of a few short years, has put Spain at the top of international cuisine. With traditional styles as the basis, a modern, innovative cuisine has developed, identified by the use of quality products and by the creativity of its chefs.
To read more about Spain’s cuisine
Hotel Catalonia Goya
Sleep in Madrid’s Golden Mile at the Catalonia Goya hotel in the heart of the Salamanca neighbourhood.
The hotel has recently refurbished rooms with a contemporary design, an urban pool ideal for cooling off on a hot day, and a gym to keep up with your workouts. Each morning you will enjoy an extensive buffet breakfast with a cooking show and you can stop off at the Gastrobar anytime for Mediterranean-inspired dishes that can also be served in your room.
Exe Sevilla Macarena
An unbeatable location and wonderful panoramic views of the city of Seville.
Located in front of the Macarena basilica and the Parliament, Exe Sevilla Macarena 4* invites you to enjoy the beauty of Andalucia. Its 331 rooms, set around a beautiful typical Sevillian patio, are equipped with an elegant and sophisticated decoration, as well as all the necessary services for a luxurious stay in Seville.
Hotel Reina Victoria
The hotel, totally renovated in 2012, is settled in a unique environment, between a lovely pine forest in the middle of the town, very close to Ronda’s landmarks and the famous Tajo de Ronda.
Around the hotel, which has 95 fully equipped rooms, there’s an amazing 3,000sqm garden in which our guests can enjoy our swimming pool and our terrace.
Hotel La Bobadilla
The hotel boasts big luxurious rooms, 3 restaurants and a larger outdoor pool.
Set in its own 350-hectare estate, the luxurious Barcelo La Bobadilla resembles a Moorish village of white-walled buildings with tile roofs and patios evoking the different cultures that have left their mark on Andalusia.
Hotel Eurostars Washington Irving
Literature, romanticism and comfort combine at this fantastic luxury hotel, which has been decorated to reflect the works of American writer Washington Irving.
The rooms and common areas of this dream hotel recreate sentences and passages from works like Tales of the Alhambra, making it a warm, welcoming place where guests are enveloped in the romanticism of the 19th century.
